Dazhai Village

Dazhai Village is one of the largest Yao villages in Longji area. It is an important village on our hiking routes. Surrounded by lush green mountains with rice terraces, fir trees and bamboo forests on, Dazhai village is located in a basin. A basin is literally called a Keng in Chinese. In the season of fall, the rice terraces turn into a color of yellow or gold. Hence the nickname of this village, Jin Keng, a golden basin.

Inhabited by 245 households and more than 1130 villagers, this village is completely a Yao people’s village. All villagers share a common family name Pan. Everyone knows one another, from young kids to senior villagers in their 80s. When one household come across a big affair, such as a wedding, funeral, building a new house, birthday party, all the rest will come and help. Traditionally, by using the technique of mortise and tenon joint structure, all their houses are made of wood of firs, which allows them standing on the basin and mountain slopes firmly. Woman villagers wear pleated skirts, even in winter day. Mostly interestingly, most of the ladies wear long hairs. It is said that they only cut their hair once in their lifetime at the ages of 16-18. Instead of using shampoo, the women wash their hair with water left after they wash rice. No matter we start our hiking or ends up here, Dazhai Village will always leave you great impression and big surprises!